London (England) -- Fiction; Man-woman relationships -- Fiction
The two set to work together to draw out the necessary advertisement
of the lecture. It was well calculated to attract attention in certain
quarters. The announcement addressed itself, in capital letters, to all
honest people who were poor and discontented. “Come, and hear the remedy
which Christian Socialism provides for your troubles, explained to you
by a friend and a brother; and pay no more than sixpence for the
place that you occupy.” The necessary information as to time and place
followed this appeal; including the offer of reserved seats at higher
prices. By advice of the secretary, the advertisement was not sent
to any journal having its circulation among the wealthier classes of
society. It appeared prominently in one daily paper and in two weekly
papers; the three possessing an aggregate sale of four hundred thousand
copies. “Assume only five readers to each copy,” cried sanguine Amelius,
“and we appeal to an audience of two millions. What a magnificent
publicity!”
There was one inevitable result of magnificent publicity which Amelius
failed to consider. His advertisements were certain to bring people
together, who might otherwise never have met in the great world of
London, under one roof. All over England, Scotland, and Ireland,
he invited unknown guests to pass the evening with him. In such
circumstances, recognitions may take place between persons who have lost
sight of each other for years; conversations may be held, which might
otherwise never have been exchanged; and results may follow, for which
the hero of the evening may be innocently responsible, because two or
three among his audience happen to be sitting to hear him on the
same bench. A man who opens his doors, and invites the public
indiscriminately to come in, runs the risk of playing with inflammable
materials, and can never be sure at what time or in what direction they
may explode.
Rufus himself took the fair copies of the advertisement to the nearest
agent. Amelius stayed at home to think over his lecture.
He was interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Farnaby’s answer to his letter.
The man of the oily whiskers wrote courteously and guardedly. He was
evidently flattered and pleased by the advance that had been made to
him; and he was quite willing “under the circumstances” to give the
lovers opportunities of meeting at his house. At the same time, he
limited the number of the opportunities. “Once a week, for the present,
my dear sir. Regina will doubtless write to you, when she returns to
London.”
Regina wrote, by return of post. The next morning Amelius received a
letter from her which enchanted him. She had never loved him as she
loved him now; she longed to see him again; she had prevailed on Mrs.
Ormond to let her shorten her visit, and to intercede for her with
the authorities at home. They were to return together to London on the
afternoon of the next day. Amelius would be sure to find her, if he
arranged to call in time for five-o’clock tea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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